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Delegate Yost to deliver commencement address at RU

Delegate Joseph Yost '06, M.A. '08

Virginia Delegate Joseph Yost, a Radford University alumnus, will be the keynote speaker at Radford University’s 2013 Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 11, at 10 a.m. on the university’s Moffett Lawn.

Elected in 2011 to represent the 12th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, Yost represents the residents of Giles County, parts of Montgomery County and Pulaski County, and the City of Radford.

Yost was born and reared in Giles County and is a graduate of Radford University, earning both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in criminal justice.

"We are excited to welcome back RU alumnus and Delegate Yost to Radford University on this special occasion for our students and their families," Radford President Penelope W. Kyle said. "His leadership and service in both the General Assembly and the local community are great examples for our students as they apply what they have learned at Radford and look with excitement to the future."

At 26, he is the youngest member of the General Assembly and serves on the Education Committee; Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee; and Privileges and Elections Committee. During his time in the House of Delegates, Yost has become a leader on issues relating to education and mental health. In 2012, he was named the "Legislative Rookie of the Year" by the Virginia Education Association, and in 2013 he was named both the "Legislative Champion of the Year" by the Virginia Education Association and the "Legislator of the Year" by the Psychiatric Society of Virginia.

Yost also serves on a number of boards and authorities, including the board of trustees for the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, the Southwest Virginia Health Facilities Authority and the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium, and he chairs the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority.

A resident of Blacksburg, Yost serves as a board member on the Smithfield-Preston Foundation, the Virginia CARES Advisory Board and the NRV Smart Beginnings Business/Community Council. He is also a member of the Giles County and Montgomery County chambers of commerce.